Josh Samuda gets second shot to make a starting impression

Former Hollywood Hills standout Josh Samuda is pushing to become the Dolphins' starting right guard

Josh Samuda warms up during OTA's. (Mike Stocker / Sun Sentinel )

August 15, 2013|By Omar Kelly, Sun Sentinel

DAVIE — — Who doesn't cheer for the runt of the litter, the underdog pushing to come up, the scrappy survivor who fights for everything they've got?

That person on the Miami Dolphins' roster is Josh Samuda, and it is easy to tell everyone — from head coach Joe Philbin on down to Samuda's fellow linemen, and rival defensive linemen — is pulling for this former Hollywood Hills standout to prove he belongs on the team's starting offensive line.

"I really didn't see it coming," Samuda said, laughing when asked about pushing for a starting spot in his second NFL season.

Keep in mind Samuda started playing football in 10th grade, after his math teacher begged the husky kid who loved video games to put down the joystick and try organized sports.

He started out as a defensive lineman but wasn't fond of the hitting, so they moved him to the offensive side. Instantly, an underdog was born.

"Every college team that came in told my coach I was too short," said Samuda, who grew into his 6-foot-3, 315-pound frame at UMass, which was the first college program that offered him a full scholarship.

Samuda's limited size kept this four-year college starter from getting drafted, but the Dolphins gave him a chance to compete for a roster spot during last year's camp and Samuda became one of the team's most pleasant surprises. He made the 53-man roster as the backup center, a spot he learned to play with the Dolphins.

"The kid is relentless," said offensive line coach Jim Turner. "He gives everything he has every day. If there was ever somebody who wants to make the football team it is him."

While Samuda might get picked on more than most his teammates, his hustle and demeanor have put plenty of his peers and coaches in his corner.

Say anything negative about Samuda and someone will interrupt it by coming to his defense.

"Josh Samuda has been working his tail off," Philbin said, when asked about Samuda's first-quarter struggles in last weekend's 27-3 win over the Jaguars.

Two bad plays and a hand injury cost Samuda his starting spot, the one he's had since John Jerry had his left knee scoped earlier this month.

Samuda was replaced by Nate Garner on the fourth drive of the Jacksonville game, and the following week at practice. But a shoulder injury has sidelined Garner for the next few weeks. As a result, Samuda gets a second chance to make a favorable impression.

Saturday night's game against Houston could be Samuda's last opportunity to prove he could be the missing link at right guard.

Jerry, who has started at that position two of the last three seasons, returned to practice on Thursday but participated on a limited basis, which hints he's a few weeks away from playing in a game.

Lance Louis, a 28-game starter the Dolphins signed this offseason from the Bears, appears to be getting close to playing in an exhibition game nine months after tearing an ACL. But he hasn't been medically cleared yet.

Samuda knows his window of opportunity is now, and he's focused on seizing it. This is his chance to fill the team's biggest void by anchoring his position, securing the pocket for Ryan Tannehill and creating running lanes for the tailbacks.

"He has to do a little bit better job in pass protection. That's the one thing that impacted him from a negative standpoint in the game the other night," Philbin said. "He just has to do better with his feet, sliding and mirroring and keeping his body in between himself and the quarterback. It's really that simple."

Play well against Houston and Samuda could accomplish something that goes beyond his childhood dream.

"My expectations were to come in and make the team again, become a better player than I was last year. I think I've done that," Samuda said. "I've proved that, and that is why the coaches are starting to believe in me and have given me a chance to work with the [starters]. I just have to keep performing."